Garage door opener



June 22, 1937. w/T. KAHLIFF GARAGE DOOR OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet l FiledMarch 5, 1936 WNW gmc/who@ Sum/MAH.

June 22, 1937. w. T. KAHLIFF GARAGE DOOR OPENER Filed March 5, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 2 GNV:

@Kaw "i d l' Patented June 22, 1937 UNITED 'STATES PATENT oFFlc'E amas:Gannon noon. orma mmm r. xmlfr, Elyria. ohio am nach 5. 193s, serai No.sus:

1 Claim.

This invention aims to provide a novel means for opening and closing thedoor of a building, such as a garage. The invention aims to provide acarriage of novel form. Opel'tively connected with the door or doors ofthe garage, and

to supply novel means for actuating the carriage at the will of anoperator.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and toenhance the utility of devices of that type to which the inventionappertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and ar-1.; rangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed l,and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 shows, in top plan. a deviceconstructed in accordance with the invention, parts being in section;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation wherein parts are in section;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section onthe lineA 4--4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing theanchor piece;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the motor, parts of the brake being insection;

Fig. 'I is a diagrammatic view illustrating the circuit;

Fig. 8 is an elevation showing a modication wherein a torque clutch isemployed;

Fig. 9 is an elevation showing how the device may be applied to ahorizontally swinging door. rather than to the vertically andhorizontally slidable door of Fig. 2;

Fig. 10 is a cross section on'the line iI-Il of Fig. 9.

. The numeral I marks a building, such as a garage, `having a doorway 2.The garage I is provided with inverted L-shaped guides 3 (Fig. 2). Adoor 4 for the doorway 2 is provided and has rollers 8 or otherpmjections which move in the guides 3, the construction being such thatthe door 4 can be raised and slid horizontally into the dash lineposition of Fig. 2, in a well kknown manner.

A platform 8 is supported at 1 in the garage I, in spaced relation tothe doorwayv2, a standard 8 being mounted on the platform. A track 9,

which may be an inverted channel, is secured at its inner end to thestandard 8 and is secured at its outer end by a bracket I0 to the garageI, above the doorway 2.

A carriage II is mounted to move along the track 9 and has fixed upperaxles I2 on which are journaled rollers I4 adapted to ride on the upperedges of the track 9, the rollers having flanges I5 that engage theouter lateral surfaces of the track 9. Spacing'sleeves I8 are mounted onone of the axles I2, between the corresponding rollers I4. The carriageII carries a lower axle I1, on which are journaled rollers I8 engagingthe bottom of the track 9, the rollers I8 having flanges I8 that engagethe outer lateral surfaces of the track 9.

The numeral 20 designates a two-part approximately L-shaped connectionhaving at its upper end a fork i9 pivoted on the axle I1, between therollers I8. The lower, forward end of the connection 28 is pivotallyjoined at 2| to the do'or 4. On one side of the carriage II there is alateral projection 22 having sloping end surfaces. y

The projection 22 on the carriage Il is adapted to engage a forwardcrank arm 23 or a rear crank arm 24 on a shaft 28, the crank arms 23 and24 being adjustably secured at 29 to the shaft 28. The shaft 26 isjournaled in bearings 21 on the track 9.

On the inner end of the shaft 28 there is a crank arm 28 pivoted to alink 28 that is pivoted to the arm 30 of a switch 3i supported by abracket 32 on the standard 8. A pull spring 33 is anchored at one end onone of the bearings 21 and is connected `to the link 29.

A fixed forward shaft 34 is mounted on the track 9. The standard 8 hasextensions 39 in which is journaled a rear shaft 38. There are sprocketwheels 31 which are carried by the shafts 34 and 38, one sprocket wheelbeing journaled on the shaft 34, and the other sprocket wheel beingsecured to the shaft 38 to rotate therewith. A sprocket chain 39 isengaged with the sprocket wheels 31. A channel-shaped anchor piece 38 issecured to one run of the sprocket chain 39. The anchor piece 38 carriesa pivot element 48 on which is mounted one end of a link 4I. Theopposite end of the link 4I is pivoted on one of the axles I2 of thecarriage II, between the spacing `sleeves I8.

'I'he rear shaft 38 carries a worm wheel 42 meshing with a worm 43 onthe shaft of an electric motor 44 mounted on the platform 8. A wheel 4Ion the shaft of the motor 44 is engaged by a one solenoid con u isenergized, the brake shoe 4s is retracted from the wheel 45 on the shaftof the motor 44. A compression spring 49 within the coil 4l engages theamature 41 and serves to maintain the brake shoe 46 engaged with'thewheel 45 cn the shaft of the motor 44.

The motor 44 is interposed in a normally open ilrst motor circuit 59, inwhich is interposed a normally open switch located at' any convenientplace outside the garage a normally .open switch 52 being interposed inthe first motor circuit 59, and being located at any convenientPlace'within the garage I. The switches 5| and 52 are under the controlof an operator. The motor 44 also is interposed in a normally opensecond motor circuit 53, including a portion of the first motor circuit5|). 'I'he second motor circuit 53 is adapted to be closed by the switch3| that. in its turn, is under the control oi': the carriage Il. 'I'hecoil 46 of the motor brake is interposed in a conductor 54, connected tothe rst motor circuit 59 on opposite sides of the motor 44. All of thevarious circuits and conductors may be suitably housed, as shown at 55in Fig. 2.

Considering, first, the mechanical means for opening and closing thedoor 4, suppose that the door 'is in the closed position of Fig. 1. Themotor 44 operates the worm 43, the worm 43 rotates the worm wheel 42,the shaft 36 is rotated and motion is transmitted vto the sprocket chain39 by the sprocket wheel 31 on the shaft 36. 'I'he sprocket chain 39carries the anchor piece 38 backwardly, the link 4| draws the carriagebackwardly along the track 9, and the connection 29 raises the door 4and slides it backwardly to open position on the guides 3.

The motor 44 is not reversed, but continues to rotate in one direction.'I'he anchor piece 38 on the sprocket chain 39 is carried around ontothe run of the sprocket chain 39 that is shown uppermost in Fig. 1'.'vvvThe carriage moves to the left in Fig. 1, back intothe position of Fig.2, andthe connection closes the door 4.

Passing to the control features, when the door is in the closed positionof Fig. 2 the switch 3| 'is held open, because the crank arm 23 on theshaft 26 rests against the projection 22 on the carriage Switches 5| and52, under the control of an operator, also are open. 'I'he solenoid coil46 is not energized, and the spring 49 thrusts the brake shoe 46 againstthe wheel 45 on the shaft of the motor 44.

Assuming that the operator is outside the garage I, he operates theswitch 5| of Figs. 2 and 'Lto close the ilrst motor circuit 50. vThemotor 44- thus is energized and put into operation. At the same time,current ilows through `the conducto54, and the solenoid coil 49 movesthe brake shoe 46 out of engagement with the wheel 45 on the shaft ofthe motor 44. I'he carriage is moved to the right from the position ofFig. '1, the operator keeping the switch 5| closed until the projection22 on the carriage is clear of the crank arm 23 on the shaft 26. Thenthe switch 5| may be released by the operator. The spring 33 rotates theshaft 26, and the arm 24 on the shaft 26 is swung inwardly toward thetrack 9, so as to be in the path of the projection 22 on the carriageWhen `the shaft 216 is rotated by the action of the'spring 33, theswitch 3|;is closed by the action of the arm 29, the

link 29, andthe arm 39 of Fig. 4. The second cira,os4,7ss v -cuit 53through the motor 44 is energized, and themotor continues to operate, tocan-y the carriage to the right in Fig. '1.

When the carriage has proceeded far enough to the right in Fig. 7 toopen the door into the dash line position of Fig. 2, the projection 22on the` carriage engagesthe crank arm/24 on the shaft 26 and rocks theshaft, the second motor circuit 53 being opened by the switch 3|, andthe door stopping in the opened position shown in dash line in Fig. 2.The flow of current through the conductor 54 is stopped at this time,the coil 46 is deenergized, and the spring 49 of Fig. 6 applies thebrake shoe 46 to the motor 44.

If the operator wishes, he can go outside of the garage, operate theswitch 5| again, and cause the carriage to move to the left, into theposition of Fig. 2. If the operator wishes, he can stay within thegarage and operate the switch 52, the door being closed again.

It is not necessary to use the structure in connection with the slidabledoor 4 of Fig. 2. In Figs. 9 and 10, parts hereinbefore described havebeen designated by numerals previously used, with the suffix a. In thisform-of the invention, the door 4a is hinged 'at 56 to the building la.Longitudinally adjustable links 51 are pivoted at 58 to the' lowerportions of the carriage ||a. The forward ends of the links 51 arepivoted at 59 to the doors 4a. 'Ihe construction, obviously, is suchthat horizontally swinging doors, or one horizontally swinging door, canbe' operated, as well as the vertically slidable door 4 of Fig. 2.

In Fig. 8,parts hereinbefore described have been designated by numeralspreviously used, with the suilix b. The modification here shown providesa clutch engagement between the rear shaft 36h and the correspondingworm wheel 42h. The worm wheel 42h has a. hub 60 in which the shaft 36hmay rotate, if too great a strain is thrown on any part of themechanism. The worm wheel 42h, however, is coupled to the shafi 36h inthe normal operation of the machine by a mechanism including a collar 6|secured at 62 to the shaft 36h. 'I'he collar 6| has an upwardly extendedarm 63, against which abuts one end of a resilient friction band 64extended around the hub 6|! of the worm wheel 42h. A bolt 65 or the likeextends through -the said end of the band, and through the arm 63 on thecollar 6|. The opposite end of the. band 64 is slidable on the bolt 65.A nut 66 is mounted on the bolt 65. A compression spring 61 surrounds aportion of the bolt 65, one end of the compression spring abuttingagainst the nut 66, and the opposite end of the compression springabutting against the adjacent end of the band 64, and tending to tightenthe band around the hub 66 of the worm wheel 4'2b, the worm wheel thusbeing`coupled to the shaft 36h, in the ordinary operation of the device,but it being possible for the worm wheel 42h and the shaft 36h to haverelative rotation if too great a strain is thrown on some part of themechanism, for instance, if something happens to be below the Adoor 4,as the door 4 descends, or between the doors 4a of Fig. 9, as thosedoors are closed.

What is claimed is:

A device for opening and closing a door, comprising a track in the formof a channel having upstanding flanges, a carriage having wheels mountedto move along the upper edges of the of the track, upstanding arms onthe secondv shaft, an outstanding cam projection on one side of thecarriage, yieldable means for rocking the second shaft in one directionto dispose the arms in such postion that they will be in the path of thecam projection, the cam projection then engaging the arms, one at atime, and rocking the second shaft in an opposite direction, means underthe control of an operator for starting the motor, and mechanism forstopping the motor when the second shaft is rocked in said oppositedirection by engagement between the cam projection and 10 either arm.

- WILLIAM T. KAHLIFF.

